1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a golf club in which the shaft and head have the capability of having the angle of "connection" of the shaft to the head modified. The present invention also relates to a method of assembling such a golf club.
2. Discussion of Background and Relevant Information
As shown in FIG. 1, a golf club 1 includes a shaft 2, typically metallic, and a head 3 connected to the shaft 1 by an extension 4 towards the top, referred to as the neck.
The assembly of the head and the shaft is generally achieved by nesting one within the other and bonding, particularly by gluing, of two assembly parts (not shown in FIG. 1) solidly affixed to the head and shaft and having complementary support zones.
The head 3 of the golf club constitutes the actual hitting element. So that the hit is correct, it is necessary that the head 3 of the club remain truly flat on the ground, the shaft 2 of the club thus forming an angle, alpha, with respect to the vertical.
The angle alpha, which can be defined either with respect to the vertical, as in the case of FIG. 1, or with respect to the horizontal, constitutes the angle called "connecting" angle, or angle of "connection" of the shaft.
One can easily understand that the angle of connection of a club varies with respect to the golfer and that it depends essentially on the position of play and on the stature of the golfer.
In the case of a club such as a putter, which is shown in FIG. 1, three principal angles of connection are generally defined corresponding to three positions A, B and C of the golfer, i.e., a median position A and two positions B and C offset approximately by 1.5.degree. on both sides of the median position.
Thus one seeks, particularly in the case of precision clubs like putters, to be able to easily modify the connection angle of the golf club shaft so as to adapt it to the playing position of the golfer.
Currently, different solutions have been proposed to resolve this problem.
A first solution consists of obtaining the desired connection angle of the shaft at the time of molding it. Such a solution requires a large number of molds, since a mold is necessary for each connection angle, and is thus very expensive.
A second solution consists of obtaining the desired connection angle by deformation of the shaft, at the level of its connection with the head, after the assembly of the golf club.
Such a solution is unsatisfactory. In fact, in this case the aforementioned angle is only obtained by a significant malleable deformation of the shaft. Yet, as the shaft is generally made of tempered steel, such a deformation causes a fatiguing which often leads to the breaking of the shaft.
Furthermore, as the deformation is often done manually, the connection angle is not obtained with great precision.